1177 bc the year civilization collapsed by eric h cline

One way to grasp the extent of this interconnectedness is through archeological finds like the Uluburun shipwreck off the coast of modern-day Turkey. That whole area was completely interconnected,' says Cline, a professor of classical and ancient Near Eastern studies and anthropology at George Washington University. 'We're talking about a region that today would stretch from Italy in the West to Afghanistan in the East, and from Turkey in the North to Egypt in the South.

Not unlike today, a truly 'globalized' economy once existed in the Late Bronze Age in which multiple ancient civilizations depended on each other for raw materials-especially copper and tin to produce bronze-and also trade goods made from ceramic, ivory and gold. and was carrying a full cargo of trade goods. Shown is a replica of the Uluburun shipwreck, a Bronze Age vessel discovered off the coast of Kas, Turkey. WATCH: Engineering an Empire: Egypt on HISTORY Vault A 'Globalized' Ancient World It's likely that the simultaneous demise of so many ancient civilizations wasn't caused by a single event or disaster, but by a 'perfect storm' of multiple stressors-an epic drought, desperate famine, roving marauders, and more-that toppled these interdependent kingdoms like dominos, according to Eric Cline, author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed.

After 1177 B.C., the survivors of this Bronze Age collapse were plunged into a centuries-long 'Dark Ages' that saw the disappearance of some written languages and brought once-mighty kingdoms to their knees.īut what kind of catastrophic event could have triggered such a sudden and sweeping downfall? In a matter of decades, though, that thriving culture underwent a rapid and near-total collapse. The great kingdoms and empires of the day-including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Minoans, Mycenaeans, Hittites and more-had the technological know-how to build monumental palaces and employed scribes to keep records of their finances and military exploits. More than 3,200 years ago, the Mediterranean and Near East were home to a flourishing and interconnected Bronze Age civilization fueled by lucrative trade in valuable metals and finished goods.

1177 bc the year civilization collapsed by eric h cline